Lord Drayson: Mr Williams was the director in charge of the organisation responsible for managing urgent operational requirements for equipment at the time, and was directly involved in advising Ministers and senior military personnel on the work being undertaken against the possibilityof military engagement in Iraq. Mr Williams's attendance was put forward by the MoD's counsel at the inquest as the person best able to answer the specific questions raised by the coroner. The coroner accepted Mr Williams as a suitable witness.

Baroness Amos: The Basra provincial council has been responsible for delivering basic services since Iraqi sovereignty was established in 2004. The UK, along with other international partners such as the UN, has worked alongside the Basra provincial council to help them effectively meet the needs of local people. DfID's capacity-building programme has built up the financial management and budgeting capacity of governorate institutions, trained over 50 governorate officials, and refurbished offices and resource centres in all four provinces. We have worked with the Basra provincial council to produce a three-year development strategy, which the council is now using to plan and implement essential repairs to water and sanitation services, electricity infrastructure and roads.
	International assistance has helped to stabilise Iraq's water and electricity infrastructure following decades of neglect and underinvestment. Since 2003 over $3.5 billion has been spent on electricity infrastructure in Iraq, increasing peak generation capacity to 5,350 megawatts in July 2006, compared to a pre-2003 capacity of 4,200 megawatts. The World Bank estimates that to improve generation capacity to meet projected demand for electricity in Iraq will take 10 years and $20 billion. DfID-funded repairs have added or secured 350 megawatts to the national grid so far, and improved power supply to 1.5 million homes around Basra. On completion of our current programmes in mid-2007, DfID will have added or secured 470 megawatts to the national grid.
	Around $1.3 billion has been spent on over 300 projects to repair and improve water and sanitation infrastructure in Iraq. DfID's work on water and sanitation in Basra will improve access to water for around 1 million people. But decades of neglect and an ageing infrastructure means that overall access to drinkable water and sewage systems remains similar to pre-2003 levels.
	The international community has undertaken extensive rehabilitation of schools and healthcare facilities nationwide. Through extensive disease control programmes, the prevalence of leishmaniasis, malaria and polio have all declined. Vaccination campaigns have helped reduce the outbreak of previously endemic diseases and annual campaigns have inoculated 98 per cent of Iraq childrenunder five years of age against measles, mumps, and rubella.
	Specifically regarding non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the current security environment means that there are very few international and Iraqi NGOs working in Basra. However, some NGOs are present and assisting the local population.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The method for recording the volume of post received in the Palace of Westminster has changed, following the introduction of the new postal services contract. Figures provided in previous Written Answers for the total number of items of post received in both Houses of Parliament in 2003 and 2004 were supplied by the Royal Mail.
	Following the introduction of the new postal services contract, key performance indicators, which include monitoring the volume of post received, are being monitored and recorded on a monthly basis. This system was introduced in September 2005 and not January 2006 as erroneously stated in my Answer of 11 December 2006. The Royal Mail has provided an estimate for the total number of items of post received in both Houses of Parliament during 2005 of 4,733,000 items. The House of Lords received an estimated20 per cent of this total number, giving an annual figure for the Lords for that year of approximately 946,600. Since the beginning of January 2006, the Palace of Westminster's contract monitoring system has provided the following monthly data for inbound mail:
	
		
			 January 377,468 
			 February 456,159 
			 March 509,709 
			 April 402,208 
			 May 452,238 
			 June 423,505 
			 July 382,171 
			 August 260,055 
			 September 338,823 
			 October 383,248 
			 November 423,139 
			 December 381,212 
			 Total 4,789,935

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many occasions physical restraint occurred at Hassockfield secure training centre in relation to, respectively, male and female black and ethnic-minority clients during each of the 12 months prior to1 November; and
	On how many occasions physical restraint occurred at Medway secure training centre in relation to, respectively, male and female black and ethnic-minority clients during each of the 12 months prior to1 November.